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Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician Course

This course will help to develop the pharmacy technician’s professional awareness and responsibility. It will help to facilitate professional interaction between the healthcare team and encourage the technician to be actively involved in risk assessment and clinical governance.

Course Details
Online Course Cost
£270 (Exc VAT)
Duration
12 Months
Includes
  • Our revalidation framework and toolkit

It is designed to refresh and build on the knowledge, skills and behaviours of technicians, with more focus to allow them to perform final accuracy checks of dispensed medicines and products safely, accurately and reliably, after they have been clinically checked by a pharmacist.

 

APTUK Approved Programme

This course is approved by the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) to meet the National Education Framework: Final Accuracy Checking of Dispensed Medicines and Products (2019), which is available on the APTUK website.

APTUK: ACPT framework (2019)

 

The scope of the course is to train technicians to carry out the final accuracy check of listed dispensed items clinically approved by a pharmacist. It does not encompass aseptic dispensing, self-checking or pre-packing. The framework is dependent upon Standard Operating Procedures being in place (for accuracy checking which define the scope of what both a learner and fully qualified Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician can and cannot check against a clinically screened prescription).

Entry Criteria

  • Be a registered Pharmacy Technician (unless you work in Northern Ireland)
  • Have demonstrated your ability to dispense accurately in your current workplace
  • Completion of the Pre-Enrolment Dispensing Log
    To meet the entry requirement set out by APTUK, applicants must have “documented evidence to demonstrate they can dispense accurately over the full range of specialty and prescription types at their practice base by means of a 200-item accuracy log”. This needs to completed at the point of enrolment. Whilst you do NOT need to submit the completed dispensing log for enrolment, you should keep it safe as we may request it for sampling and monitoring purposes when required. Your facilitator must complete the declaration in Section 5 of the Enrolment Form.

Pre-Enrolment Dispensing Log

Please note: If you leave your workplace during the course, we may have to withdraw you if you are unable to satisfy the requirements of the course.

Facilitators

Upon enrolment the learner must supply the name of a facilitator who will offer support, guidance and feedback to them during the course. The facilitator must be a registered pharmacist or ACPT (Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician) with suitable experience. They must be a colleague who regularly works alongside the learner and is trained to carry out final accuracy checks of dispensed medicines in the same area of the workplace. They will receive a website login for the ACPT Facilitator Course to support them in the role, which includes assessment guidance and resources.

Revalidation

Since 2018 ACPTs are no longer required to re-accredit their certificates every two years. This is because pharmacy technicians are registered professionals in their own right, and have a professional duty to revalidate with the GPhC.

 

However, we do advise all ACPTs the importance of keeping an accuracy checking portfolio to demonstrate on-going competence post-qualification. To support you with this, we have devised a framework and toolkit to build your portfolio.

 

If you wish to have your competence formally assessed, Buttercups Training offers an Accuracy Checking Revalidation Service to any individuals who meet the requirements outlined in our framework, for a fee of £43 (Exc VAT). This may be helpful if you have moved employer or had a break from accuracy checking.

 

You should be aware that your employer may have alternative processes for revalidation of your competence and you should seek their advice on the correct way to meet the requirements of your organisation.

 

Full details and an application form for the service is available at:

Accuracy Checking Revalidation Service

Course Features
3 Underpinning Knowledge modules and 1 module for assessment guidance
An accuracy checking portfolio including a 1000-item checking log
Practical exam
Telephone interview
Probationary period
Course Content

We begin the course by covering different types of prescriptions, details required and types of prescribers

This section examines the common causes of dispensing errors

Here you will learn about the psychological reasons that cause errors to occur

This studies the importance of monitoring errors and using risk management models to identify the potential for errors

Chapter 4 is unlocked after completion of Chapters 1 to 3, including submission of the assessments. This chapter outlines the requirements for compiling the accuracy checking portfolio, the final assessments, probationary period and certification.